Rovaniemi

Holidays to Rovaniemi take you to the heart of Lapland. It's a place of husky rides, meeting elves, riding snowmobiles – and, of course, Father Christmas.

Rovaniemi Lapland Holidays

Classic Lapland

If this Lapland holiday doesn’t get you into the festive spirit, nothing will. It includes loads of great activities, from husky sledging to gingerbread decorating. What’s more, you’ll be based in Rovaniemi – the hub of all things Christmassy.

Santa's Secret Grotto

The venue for this trip is Rovaniemi’s Santa Park, where Santa and his elves spend their days making toys and getting ready for Christmas. The huge underground grotto is made up of fairy-lit walkways, colourful workshops and festive shopping stalls, so there’s lots to explore.

A polar capital with a warm heart

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland. It’s a small, compact city that comes with a real buzz of modern shopping malls, lively bars and restaurants serving up everything from traditional cooking to French cuisine. It’s also got the rather big draw of having Santa Claus on hand – not to mention Arctic wilderness that’s perfect for snowsports and sleigh rides.

Santa Claus Village

It’s Christmas all year round at Santa Claus Village, about 8 kilometres north of Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle. It’s a novelty to send greetings from the Post Office here, and there’s the chance to learn about the history of Christmas traditions. The place gets busy at the end of November when there are concerts, gift bazaars, performances by Santa’s elves, plus the grand opening of SantaPark, Santa’s secret underground grotto.

Sporting activities

Father Christmas has some competition. Sporting activities are popular at Ounasvaara, just outside the resort – there are nearly 50 different things to do here throughout the seasons. Cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snowshoeing make up the winter fixtures, while golf and bobsledding top the bill in summer. And the area is also criss-crossed with well-signposted hiking trails.

Reindeer sleigh safaris

Reindeer rides and Rovaniemi go together like turkey and trimmings. You can either try your hand at steering a traditional sleigh yourself, or sit back and enjoy the ride while an experienced guide takes you into the icy wilderness of the Arctic Circle. Some of the sleigh-ride operators also do visits to a reindeer farm, where you can meet the animals up close.